Noosa Outrigger Canoe Club.
They say that there is no rest for the wicked. So, therefore what say you of the Noosa Outriggers Club. Colin Jones has informed us, that over the Christmas period the Noosa Outriggers Club trained hard in preparation for the Sydney Harbour Challenge.
This event will take place on the 25 February, with expectations being that Noosa will have at least eight crews from the club participating and the makeup being men’s, women’s and mixed.
“The event involves a 22-kilometre paddle. Starting in Rose Bay, then east out through the Heads, the course will see them travelling outside South Head for a distance of 1.5kl, before returning for a run up the Harbour, past Fort Denison Shark Island, to the Opera House and back to the finish at Rose Bay.
Such is the reputation of this race, that many of the 102 outrigger clubs in Australia are expected to be represented at this formidable endurance event.” The events prior to the Christmas break in which Noosa teams took part, saw them perform well. So, if their continued Christmas training is not too vigorously interrupted by their celebrations, then anything is possible.
This is yet another club that is making a great contribution to the sporting fraternity of our community. With membership catering up to the 60 plus age group, it can’t help but create a happy friendly atmosphere. And this is a great foundation on which to build a successful club. We wish them all the very best for the season ahead.
Noosa Barbell Club.
Now is the time that a lot of our clubs look back on the year that was, celebrate their achievement with festivity, and following this, plan for what lays ahead in 2023. One such club is the Noosa Barbell Club.
Woogie Marsh is coach of one such club. “It was a long season of weightlifting for our club, and we finished off the year with our annual Christmas lift off. This is when we got together as a community, dress up in Christmas outfits and had in-house competition. It was great, and showed great family spirit. A great indication for the year ahead.
Winning on this occasion is not of course a priority: its main aim is getting all our members together, celebrating another fantastic year, and above all thanking our club supporters, the Chartists, for their massive contribution to the club.”
The Chartists (whose charter consists of stock markets and financial education) have been successful in getting us to where we needed to be regarding financial support and positive role modelling. They have been an amazing supporter of Barbell and the sport of weightlifting. Also, to Rick Kelly from CrossFit 4566/Noosa Barbell Club, for his continued support of the club and facility.”
This year poses to be even bigger with the season starting in early February: with the U 23 state titles and other events running through the year, until December 2023. “We are looking forward to seeing many new faces standing on the winners’ platform at our annual Youth and First Timers’ competition. This will take part in mid-February.”
However, good news this week for the Barbell club. Coach Marsh, has been informed that two members, Jack Lafferty and Kaiya Marsh, have been selected in the Australian Pathways Squad to compete against the New Zealand’s Pathway in Auckland. This will take place on 16 February.
“This is really great news. Both are good members and have been training hard. But what makes this even better, is that 7 of the 14 team members selected from all over Australia, come from the Sunshine Coast. To think that 50 per cent of the Australian team comes from our coast, tells we must be doing a lot of things right.
Also, it shows our community that we have top coaches available for young people wanting to take up the sport of weightlifting: and something for parents to remember, it is an Olympic sport.”
Comment.
Throughout the year it has become quite apparent, that within our shire there is an outstanding number of athletes, from outside the world of football, whose ability has taken them right to the top: and from here they are chosen to represent their state and or country. And they are many in number.
Since the year 2014, many of our locals have reached these levels and as a result received the high honour of representing Australia: travelling overseas to such places as Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Japan, China, Finland, Spain, England and Ireland.
And of course, there is the ultimate- the Olympic Games.
Many have returned having won medals. Above all, the invaluable experience gained at such a level of competition, could set them up for selection in the years ahead. This will see them living a life that, had it not been for their sporting prows, would have been beyond their wildest dreams.
Some of us, understand the hours required for training and the sacrifices made in their personal life. Then there is the parent contribution: in time, family life and of course the big one. Finance.
And therein lays a major problem. If their sport is relatively unknown and media attention is limited, the battle to achieve sponsorship will of course be difficult. Recent achievements, by some of our local athletes have resulted in overseas travel: and this really brings the matter of finance to the for-front.
Then, because of the lack of sponsorship the burden will often fall on the shoulders of the families. For example, when a member of the Noosa Athletics Club, was chosen for national representative honours at the 2018, U20 world athletic championships in Finland, it came at a cost of $5500. The cost to represent his country fell squarely in the lap of the family.
To add salt into the wound, it became even harder to accept on arrival in Finland. On meeting team members from European countries, they were astounded to learn the number of athletes that had all expenses paid, by their proud country.
This, believe me, is just the tip of the ice berg. From 2014 to 2022 total representative costs to a group of our families in Noosa Athletics, (whose sons and daughters have made Australian selection) comes to $42,000.
Recently in discussion with a group of highly respected coaches from various sports, they agreed that the current situation has to be addressed. As we don’t wear football boots, we know that it will be hard. But try we must and try we will. And remember who they are. Our kids, our families, our country. We will keep you informed.
